As a Puerto Rican raised in the South, chef Reina Gascon-Lopez explores her multiracial background and cultures through food and writing. She started her popular food website and blog The Sofrito Project to share and document her love of cooking with friends and family.
As a chef, recipe developer and now adjunct chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, she bridges the cultures of her Afro-Caribbean, Latin and Southern upbringing to allow for creativity in the kitchen with her flavorful and delicious recipes, digital cookbooks and even her own signature spice blends.
Gascon-Lopez’s work has been featured in many publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Food52, Food Network and more. Her work began like so many chefs — during her childhood alongside cooks in her own family.
“I started cooking at a very young age, helping my mom and grandmothers out when they needed extra hands in the kitchen,” she said. “Food and cooking is such a huge part of my culture, and being the eldest daughter in my family, I was put in charge of starting dinner on school nights when both of my parents were working.”
Gascon-Lopez took what was supposed to be a household chore and turned it into her passion. But it would be years before her passion became her career.
By some standards, Gascon-Lopez’s culinary journey could be seen as unconventional. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 2012 with a communications and media studies degree. After graduation, she worked in the technical support field for 10 years before switching careers.
“I was unhappy with the stresses of my corporate job and wanted a change that better aligned with what I was passionate about,” she said.
To help cover the cost of college, Gascon-Lopez found herself working in restaurants around the city. Hyman’s Seafood was her first job, throwing her into the food and beverage industry in one of the city’s oldest and most popular restaurants. After she decided to attend culinary school, she worked in other restaurants, including Ted’s Butcherblock, Stella’s and Peninsula Grille.
“I started working in restaurants because the schedules were always pretty flexible while I was in school, and I just fell in love with the energy and camaraderie of kitchen life,” she said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than working the line and every single person is in sync during dinner service. I love seeing our shared hard work and creations being enjoyed by guests.”
Working in restaurants in one of the world’s top tourist destinations taught her many life lessons. One of the most important lessons she learned was to embrace the camaraderie in high-stress environments.
“Being able to rely on others is a strength and not a hindrance,” Gascon-Lopez said. “I’ve always been very independent and working hard on my own always seemed to be the easiest way to stay on track with my goals.
“But the older I get, the more I’ve learned to lean on others and accept help, whether it’s extra hands in the kitchen, new job opportunities or networking experiences from colleagues and peers. This industry is all about teamwork, and I find that opening myself up to genuinely collaborating with others has changed both my professional and personal life for the better.”
Now with 10-plus years of experience, Gascon-Lopez has left the heat of restaurant kitchens to find her own lane in the culinary industry, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic completely shifted how I looked at the industry and what I was willing to accept when it came to a healthy work-life balance, especially when it came to working for others who didn’t see a true value or sense of partnership in their employees,” she said. “I was able to step back, focus on myself and start working on my own when I was laid off when Covid hit.”
Working on her own has led not only to a better work-life balance, but major opportunities many line cooks or restaurant employees may not even know are options in their field. Gascon-Lopez has been able to share more on her blog, as well as write about food for various publications. She has self-published three digital cookbooks and stepped into freelance recipe development, pop-up dinners and more.
While Gascon-Lopez’s culinary start may not have been cut and dry like some chefs, she forged her own path in an industry that often overlooks women, especially women of color.
When she was younger, she would often look to celebrity chef culture for inspiration. But now she has realized her best work comes from taking care of others with food while being creative. And while celebrity chefs are great, she said her real inspiration comes from her culture, community and friends and colleagues that are now paving their own paths in the industry.
“I love connecting with them to simply create and share. From leftovers of recipe testing, dinner parties, celebrations, all of it. Finding and building a community with others who align with my integrity, values, and work has been the most rewarding part of this journey.”
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.